Dirk Doebler didn’t set out to become a parental leave pioneer. 

Like many entrepreneurs, his path to founding Parento began with firsthand experience of a broken system and a bold idea for how to fix it. Does this story sound familiar? Well, the origins are a little different. 

Dirk Doebler’s career began on Wall Street, where he worked at Barclays Capital as a Global Research Analyst focused on consumer and household goods. 

When Lauren Gage became a mother, she experienced the beauty of new parenthood alongside something else decidedly… less joyful. 

While she knew that her return to work would be a struggle, the actual experience was tenfold. 

Despite her impressive credentials (including an MBA from Duke, a resume that included Goldman Sachs and McKinsey, and deep experience in strategy and leadership) Lauren was suddenly on the frontlines of the emotional and logistical chaos of pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and new parenthood. Suddenly, all of her credentials and previous accomplishments felt useless. 

Lauren quickly discovered what so many parents already know: support for parents is scarce. 

For too many working parents, burnout is an almost guaranteed side effect of holding (at least) two demanding jobs. 

We’re all familiar with the struggles. Companies are reversing their flexible WFH policies, childcare is expensive, and even the best-laid plans fail; especially during flu season. 

Enter Taylor and Casey Capuano, the twin sister duo who founded Cakes Body, a viral nipple cover brand. 

Parents have been screaming about the lack of support at work for decades. While many organizations are content to sit around doing nothing (or close to it), the twins pulled a proverbial “hold my beer”, and rewrote the script for how companies can support their employees, especially women and parents. 

Cakes Body has quickly gone from a side hustle to a viral success story, but TikTok success is not the headline here.